This Isn't Real
by StarPockets
Summary: After facing her mother's killer, Katara seeks comfort in Zuko before they return to the rest of the group. Takes place during The Southern Raiders and afterwards.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: This is my first posted story! I hope you like it. It takes place during The Southern Raiders. I always thought that it might be fun if Katara turned to Zuko for comfort in that episode a little more than she did. I also figured it would be a good reason for her "confusion" when she speaks with Aang in The Ember Island Players. So, enjoy! Please let me know what you think!**

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><p>It was dark.<p>

Katara shuddered at the sound of the rain outside her tent. Under any normal circumstance, being surrounded by her element would soothe her. It would give her a sense of security and happiness.

Not that night.

That night, all she wanted was for the rain to go back from where it came from. High up in the sky where it belonged. Away from where anyone (except for Appa or possibly Aang) would be able to see or hear from it. Her legs were curled up tightly against her chest. So alone, she felt. So completely and utterly alone.

She should have killed the bastard.

The look on his face was something she didn't think she would ever forget. She'd fully intended to murder him. To stab him every which way using all of the might the water would give her – but she hadn't. Aang would say she was strong. That it wasn't the right thing to do. She wasn't sure if he was right, or if she was simply too weak.

She agonized over her decision again and again. She hadn't slept much in the past two days, and didn't think that was about to change that night. Perhaps she would be able to once she was back with the others, and there was a sense of normalcy again. But as it stood, there was no way she was going to be able to sleep any time before that. Her mind was going in too many different directions to allow for relaxation to set in.

Anger washed over her. Why was it that she was so lost? After facing him, she should have felt relief. Instead all she felt was misery.

As she stretched out on top of her sleeping bag, the pain in her chest grew worse. "Mom, I'm so sorry," she sobbed quietly, gripping the fabric close to her face.

Her muffled sobs did not go unnoticed.

"Um, Katara?" A voice called out to her from outside the tent.

Just great.

"Are you okay?" he asked, still standing awkwardly outside the fabric doors. "Because I, uh, could hear you..."

She sighed and sat up, slightly wiping her eyes. There wasn't much use in that, since he had quite obviously known she had been crying, but still.

"I'm fine," she called out to him.

There was an uncomfortable silence. Katara peeked upwards and could still see his shadow lingering outside the tent. She felt a little guilty. He had accompanied, even _encouraged_ her on the most important journey of her life. She supposed she needed to be a little bit nicer to him. He had helped her out a lot and he seemed to be genuine about it this time...

So, instead of telling him to get lost and mind his own business she crawled over to the tent opening. "Really, Zuko, I'm fine," she said, eyeing him. He looked pathetic, sitting out there in the rain.

"I just wanted to make sure, I know you went through a lot today." He didn't look at her, instead he kept his eyes placed firmly on the ground underneath him.

A lot didn't even begin to cover it. Though Katara still wasn't sure how she felt about him, she had to admit to herself that Zuko wasn't wrong. Maybe the best thing to do would be to actually talk to someone about what she was feeling, instead of crying alone in her tent.

Unfortunately Aang, Sokka, Toph and _anyone_ else were all back at their camp. The prince who had hunted them down and betrayed her trust time and time again would have to do. She opened the curtain slightly to allow him in. Crawling back over to her spot on the sleeping bag, she curled her legs up to her chest once more.

Zuko was hesitant at first, but followed her after a moment and sat beside her. "Look, I know I'm probably not the person you want to talk to-"

"I don't understand why I couldn't do it," she cut him off, feeling fresh tears start to brim in her eyes. "He killed my mother, and I just couldn't..." Her voice cracked, and she took a few deep breaths to steady herself.

Zuko didn't say anything. Instead he just listened to her. He was sure she probably didn't want his advice anyway.

"I don't know why I couldn't, I just looked at him and I saw myself. I didn't want to become who he was, the type of person who I had hated for so long. The type of person who would take someone else's life without even thinking about it."

He still didn't say a word. He just watched her as she trembled with sadness and confusion. Her eyes were still pointed downward, and she didn't dare look at him.

"I keep going over what Aang said in my head. That I didn't need to kill him and that I needed to face him and let it go," she paused, shaking her head, "but I did face him, and I didn't let it go. I feel just as awful as ever. Now all I have to think about was that I should have killed him, but I was too weak to do it."

Zuko watched as Katara continued to shake her head, obviously still so lost. "You're not weak," he said quietly.

"What?" Her head snapped up and her eyes met his.

"You're not weak. Trust me, I've seen the way you fight and I've seen you stand up for what you believe in," he said, feeling a little awkward to be saying such things to her.

She scoffed. "Maybe that's the problem. Maybe I put too much faith in other people."

Zuko shook his head. That was one thing he knew she was wrong about. "No," he said sharply. "You always see the good in people. Being able to do that is what makes you strong. That man was weak and he was a coward. Standing up to him took strength and courage."

Katara looked up at him as he spoke. Normally his words wouldn't have affected her as strongly as they did. In fact, if it had been Aang, Sokka, Toph or _anyone_ else she probably would have just shrugged them off. They were her friends, they were supposed to say things like that. But Zuko... he had seen her bad side more than anyone else. Surely if he thought those things, they had to be at least somewhat true, didn't they?

She studied his face. His dark hair was messy, and it was wet on account of the rain. It had always annoyed her, she constantly wanted to brush it out of his eyes. Speaking of his eyes – had they always been that amber color? In the darkness of the tent they almost looked gold.

That was when something weird happened. She leaned forward and pressed her lips against his.

Zuko was too shocked to respond – either by saying anything or kissing her back. He just sat there, frozen. Almost afraid to do anything else.

Katara pulled away from him, unsure of why she'd just done what she did. If they'd had anything to drink, she probably would have blamed it on that. Instead, she chose to go with the route that she was overtired and being in that tent with Zuko was oddly comforting.

"Sorry," she muttered, looking down at her feet once more.

"Don't be," he replied, placing his hand underneath her chin.

Katara gently turned to look at him. His eyes were soft now, and there was something in them that she'd never seen before. Compassion, was it? They were both tired, their judgement clouded. This wasn't happening.

She felt the urge to kiss him again. He must have felt it too, because Katara was certain she wasn't the only one who leaned in that time.

And that time. Agni, _that time_. Instead of the awkward seconds they had shared only moments before, that time they kissed like they meant it. The kiss was unlike any other she had experienced before it. Not that there had been many, really. There was that one time Aang had kissed her before the invasion – but that had been awkward and rushed. It had ended before Katara had even known it was happening.

This was anything but rushed.

His lips were so soft, which wasn't at all what she had expected. She wasn't sure what she had expected him to smell like either, but instead he smelled fresh, like the rain. It made sense, if Katara had stopped to think logically about it.

There was no logic here.

Her hands sat on his neck for a moment before daring to move upward and play with his hair. It was still damp from the aforementioned rain and the beads of water felt nice against her fingertips.

Katara shifted her weight as Zuko pulled her in closer. He was turned on, that much she could tell. She wrapped her legs around his waist, and he groaned feeling her warmth against him.

She continued kissing him, letting his tongue dance free inside of her mouth. Reaching backwards, she pulled his hand down to her lower back and continued to grind against him. The sounds she was making were muffled by his lips on hers.

Her mind was racing. As she pressed her chest up against his, she could feel his heart beating rapidly. Almost as fast as hers was. Soon the two of them toppled over onto her sleeping bag. Katara stayed on top of him, and again Zuko pulled her in closer.

"Katara," he breathed, and she pulled away from him for a second. They both stared at each other; wondering if they should continue on, and where this might possibly lead if they did. "Do you want to stop?" he asked.

She was breathing heavily now. Damn him and his logical questions! Did she want to stop? Never. Should she stop before they ended up doing something that might make the next morning anymore awkward than it was already shaping up to be? Probably.

Rarely in her life did Katara do what she _should_ have. That, and his lips were so sweet. All she wanted was to taste them again. "No," she said, before planting another kiss on those sweet lips of his. "I don't want to stop."

Zuko didn't need to be told twice. Katara flipped over on to her back as he crawled on top of her. Again, she wrapped her legs around his waist, unable to get enough of the hardness that strained through his leggings. Agni, he just felt so _good_ against her. She briefly wondered if he was just as inexperienced as she was. It didn't seem like it.

Feeling brave, and wanting more, she grabbed his hand and placed it firmly on her breast. Taking this as a loud and clear "yes," he shrugged himself out of the top part of his tunic and leaned down on top of her once more. Katara moaned as she felt his skin against hers. She dug her fingernails into his back and moved her kisses to his neck, just underneath his earlobe.

He continued to roll his hips against hers, not daring to take any steps further unless she made the first move. If this was as far as it was going to go, that was plenty fine with him. He wasn't so sure he was going to last much longer anyway.

Katara was right there with him. She tightened her legs around him, ignoring the pain in her thighs. Every part of her body felt like it was on pins and needles. "Oh, oh Zuko!" she cried, as he sent her over the edge.

He buried his head in her neck as she caught her breath, and he too felt it. The climax was almost too much for him to handle, but he managed to stay quieter than she did. He only moaned softly into her skin.

As they came down from their high, they continued to kiss lightly. Eventually, that turned into light breathing and looking into each others eyes just a little awkwardly.

The two of them laid there in silence, neither saying a word to each other about what had just happened. Eventually, Zuko fell asleep with his arm draped lazily over top of her.

Katara didn't fall asleep right away. Instead she was kept awake with new feelings of confusion. Before sleep finally overtook her, her mind continued to work. Still, her few minutes with Zuko had done their job – the conflicted thoughts about the man who had killed her mother were gone. Replacing them were thoughts of romance, love, and the choice she knew she would eventually have to make.


	2. Chapter 2

**Wow, thank you all so much for your feedback! I am absolutely floored. *hugs everyone* Every time I saw a new email from the site it made my day! Thank you all! I have decided to continue this for a few more parts, ideas just kept coming to me and let's face it, after their little makeout session in the tent, Katara and Zuko would be just as confused as ever! ;) On to the next installment!**

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><p>Zuko sat quietly, staring out at the ocean before him. It was chilly outside, but he had quickly fixed that by making a small fire.<p>

The water was calm, but it served as half a distraction from his thoughts. No matter how he tried to fight it, being on Ember Island still felt awkward for him. It had felt that way when he'd been there with his sister, Mai and Ty Lee earlier that summer and it was even more so now that he was here with his new found friends.

He tried not to think about Mai. It only made him feel worse. She'd saved his life and quite possibly got herself imprisoned all for what? For him? At the time he had been grateful to see her. After all, he had left her without so much as a word. That gratefulness was quickly being replaced with dread. Though it wasn't his fault that Mai had shown up, guilt still ate away at him every time that memory made its way back into his mind.

For as much as he tried not to think about Mai, there was one other person who wouldn't leave his mind.

_Katara._

Over the past year, Zuko had felt a number of things when it came to the waterbender. First it had been mild annoyance. She was always getting in his way. Then it was understanding; they both had been through the same pain. Both of them having lost their mothers to the Fire Nation.

After that came anger. Every time he thought about the healing water she'd possessed, it became more and more clear to him that The Avatar was alive. Over and over again, he blamed Katara for that. Until he realized that The Avatar being alive was actually a good thing – but that was another story entirely.

Fear came shortly afterwards. Katara made no bones about the fact that she didn't trust him. He didn't exactly blame her – but it had still bothered him.

Which brought him to the night after they'd found her mother's killer. Zuko had genuinely wanted to help her, to give her the closure that she so desperately needed. In a way, he needed that closure as well. If Katara came to terms about what the Fire Nation had done to her, perhaps he himself would have been able to as well.

That wasn't exactly what had happened.

Zuko knew she'd initiated it at first, there was no denying that. But he hadn't stopped her. When she'd kissed him, it was like a light went on in his head. He'd never thought about Katara romantically before, but suddenly he found himself unable to stop. All he had wanted to do when he'd come to her tent was make sure she was okay. After she'd kissed him once (Zuko still wasn't quite sure why she'd done that) he'd needed to kiss her again. A kiss that would explore those sudden feelings he was having, and hopefully help him figure them out. It had gone a lot further than he had expected it to, and now he wasn't able to stop thinking about it.

Now, every time he saw her his eyes went straight to her lips. Over and over he thought about kissing her again, but he always held himself back. He longed to wrap his arms around her, and to hold her body close. The images and sounds of that night were burned into his mind. Ever since they had returned from their trip it was those images that he found himself thinking about every night before falling asleep.

He was sure that she knew it. Whenever he looked at her she would always avert her eyes awkwardly. At first he had thought it was cute – she was obviously shy and embarrassed about what they had done. Now, he was slightly worried. Could it be that she just wanted to forget the entire thing had happened at all? Maybe she was embarrassed because she'd felt it had been a mistake.

Zuko had noticed her interactions with the others. It was obvious that Aang was attracted to her. He practically swooned every time she spoke to him. Maybe the kisses that they had shared in her tent had just been comfort she'd needed at the time and nothing more. Perhaps it was actually Aang who she favored instead.

So often he wanted to just ask her about it, but he kept his mouth shut. If she wanted to talk about it, she would come to him.

He continued to stare out on the water, his mind darting back and forth between the possibilities. Did Katara feel the same way about him, or didn't she? He just couldn't be sure.

"Zuko?"

Hearing her voice, he thought it was his imagination at first. Upon turning his head around he saw that no, his mind wasn't playing tricks on him at all. She was actually there.

"Hey," he said awkwardly, turning his attention back to the ocean. He hadn't a clue what to say to her.

"You should come back inside. It's cold out here and everyone's already asleep," she said, still standing at the edge of the stairs leading down to the beach.

He motioned towards the fire he'd made earlier. "I'm fine."

Instead of arguing with him like he predicted she would, she sat down beside him. Zuko shifted a little, but continued to stare out on to the ocean. He couldn't look at her – not with the thoughts that were running through his mind.

"Are you okay?" she asked, her voice filled with its usual concern. That was the one thing be both loved and hated about her. She was always quick to make sure her friends were alright, and offer her help if they weren't.

"I'm fine," he insisted, still not daring to look at her.

"It was a really bad play, you know. Nothing about it was that accurate," she tried. It was clear she assumed that was what he was upset about.

He shrugged, not really wanting to get into a discussion about that horrendous play. "I warned you guys that it wasn't going to be good."

Katara scoffed. "You know Sokka, he wanted a wacky fun day at the theatre." She imitated her brother by waving her hands in an overly exaggerated manner.

Zuko couldn't help but laugh a little at that. "Yeah, I know. It didn't really turn out that way, did it?" he asked, finally glancing at her for a moment. Her hair was loose and moved a little when it caught the wind.

This time it was Katara who darted her eyes away. "No, it didn't," she said softly, looking slightly uncomfortable.

He considered asking her if she was okay, but it was clear that she wasn't. Talking to girls was something he'd never been good at. Especially girls he liked. Instead, he tried to offer some consolation. "That actress wasn't like you at all," he said.

"That's not it," she replied quickly. "It's not about the play. I-" she stopped, looking up at him. Zuko felt his heart speed up in his chest. What was she going to say? Was there a reason she'd come to the beach to see him, besides the fact that it was cold and late?

"I can't talk about this with you," she finally finished, looking back down at the sand underneath her feet.

"It's okay, I understand," he said automatically, although he didn't quite understand at all. Could it be she was still feeling awkward around him? And if that was the case, why had she come down to the beach to talk to him in the first place?

Katara shook her head. "No! It's not about...that," she said, her cheeks tuning red. "It's just..." she sighed and closed her eyes. "Aang kissed me during the intermission."

Zuko felt his heart drop. "Oh," he replied, not really knowing what else to say. Katara didn't seem to be happy about the kiss, but he wasn't about to prod and ask her for more details.

"I don't know what to do," she confessed, offering the details herself. "I know that he has feelings for me and... I haven't told this to anyone, but he kissed me before the invasion too. I guess that's why he did it today, because he was upset that nothing happened after that."

Zuko didn't really know how to respond. Out of all the things he'd expected Katara to say, a detailed confession about Aang certainly wasn't one of them. He'd always figured Aang had liked her in secret, without actually telling her. "So, uh, you guys aren't a couple?" he asked. He already knew the answer, but he was seeking conformation just to make sure.

"No," Katara said firmly. "I mean, I did kind of like him. And I know he's liked me for a long time," Katara looked upwards at Zuko, his eyes willing her to continue. It was the first time they had made eye contact since she'd joined him on the beach.

Zuko took a deep breath as he felt his heart speed up again. They were already sitting close together, but now Katara's face was inches from his. "But now, I'm just so confused," she finished faintly.

That made two of them.

Though they were close, Zuko didn't dare make the first move. Not after hearing that Katara was upset over Aang kissing her earlier that day. He didn't want to add to that stress. Instead, he simply reached up and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear.

Katara closed her eyes and leaned in slightly towards him. Did she want him to kiss her or something? Zuko wasn't totally sure, but he wasn't able to control himself. Not after playing this exact scenario over and over again in his head for the past few days. Taking a chance, he closed his eyes and softly placed his lips on hers.

He feared she'd pull away, but she didn't. Instead she responded eagerly, gently sucking on his bottom lip. She snuggled in closer to him and Zuko draped his arms around her. It was just as he'd imagined it being –

The water made a sudden crash, startling both of them. They broke apart and glanced over at the ocean, which was less calm than it had been before. The wind was starting to pick up.

"Zuko," Katara whispered, tracing her fingers along the side of his face. She tried to pull him in for another kiss, but he placed his hand on top of hers. He wasn't about to let that happen again.

It wasn't that he didn't want to – far from it. Those couple of seconds had brought him back to reality. It was just too dangerous for them to be doing anything of the sort in plain view. The last thing Zuko wanted was for anyone to catch them in the act. If Aang saw them, he'd be heartbroken. If it were Sokka there would certainly be hell to pay. Toph...well, Toph probably wouldn't be bothered. But the threat of Aang and Sokka was enough for Zuko to exercise restraint. As difficult as that was.

"We can't do this out here," he whispered firmly. "What if someone saw us?"

Katara pulled her hand away from his and rested it on her hips. "I already told you, everyone's asleep."

"Right," Zuko muttered, looking back at the house. He wasn't sure what to think.

Katara sighed, looking downward. "I'm sorry," she said. "You're right, we shouldn't be doing this."

"Not out here where someone might see," Zuko corrected her quickly. He didn't want her to change her mind completely. He just wanted to rule out most of the risk. Now if they were back in the house in his bedroom, with a door that could close and lock, that was another story.

Oh, the dirty places his mind went when he thought about her. He almost wanted to offer the idea, but he was too cautious to do so. The last thing he wanted to do was push her into something she wasn't ready for. Instead he rested his arm around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head. For now, that would have to do.

Katara snuggled in closer to him. She kept her gaze fixed on the fire beside them – which was slowly dying. "I feel safe when I'm with you," she murmured almost inaudibly.

Zuko couldn't explain it, but there was something about being with her that he hadn't felt before. Simply sitting with her in silence made him feel content. His mind was more at ease than it had been in a long time. If this was how things had to stay between them for a little while, he was perfectly okay with that.

"I feel the same way," he replied softly, once again looking out on the water before him.


	3. Chapter 3

**Once again, thank you all so much for your feedback on the last part! It definitely keeps me motivated to keep writing :) I don't have a whole lot to say about this chapter, I hope you enjoy it!  
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><p>Katara stood silently. She hadn't been able to sleep, her mind too full of thoughts and worries about the imminent battle. They were going to be leaving Ember Island the following morning. After that everything was going to be different. Aang would be coming to face to face with the Fire Lord soon enough and if everything went as planned, the war that had been going on for so long would finally come to an end.<p>

Aang. Katara's stomach twisted at the thought of him. He had made his feelings for her quite clear, and though she couldn't reciprocate, she also didn't have the heart to tell the young boy exactly why.

The reason being on the other side of the very door she stood in front of.

She wasn't sure what she was doing, to be perfectly honest. All she knew was that she'd been in her own bed, tossing and turning, agonizing over what was to come in the next few days. Finally, she'd given up on sleep and ended up right outside his room.

She hadn't yet knocked. Knowing he had a big day ahead of him (all of them did, really) she didn't want to wake him up. Still, he was the first person she had thought of when she knew she wouldn't be able to sleep without talking to someone. Ever since the night she had seen him on the beach, things had been different between her and Zuko. Well, things had actually been different ever since the night in the tent – but that was beside the point. It seemed as though their relationship was ever changing. Before she had felt awkward whenever he'd looked at her – now they stole little looks and smiles whenever they could.

It was a wonder that anyone had yet to catch on.

Finally, she knocked softly on the door. Loud enough that Zuko could possibly hear, but not so much that it would wake anyone else in the house.

He answered almost too quickly. Opening the door just a crack, and then wider once he realized who was before him.

"Katara," he said, eyeing her.

"Hey," she replied, suddenly feeling very shy. This was probably due to the fact that he was wearing next to nothing. "Sorry if I woke you," she continued, blushing a little.

"You didn't wake me," he said, his tone soft. "I couldn't sleep."

"Yeah," Katara breathed, understanding that all too well. "Me neither."

They both stood in the hall for a moment, neither knowing what to say to the other. Katara didn't want to just barge into his room if he didn't want her there. Zuko wasn't sure he _should_ be inviting her in. It wasn't entirely clear to him what she'd come to visit him for.

"Sorry," Katara muttered, still feeling somewhat awkward. It was strange. All those times they'd been with the entire group all she'd wanted was to get him alone. Now that she had, she hadn't the faintest idea what to do or say. "I just um, wanted to see you..."

She reached up and lightly touched his hand with her own. They both watched this interaction before finally making eye contact with each other. Katara's eyes were pleading. Zuko's eyes were confused and almost afraid.

He opened the door a little wider to allow her to enter his room. Careful not to make any noise, Katara walked slowly through the room. She eventually sat down on the side of the bed, where Zuko joined her. He was mindful to keep a good amount of space between them.

Katara dug her nails into her knees and focused all her attention on them. "I'm nervous about tomorrow," she confessed, her voice dark. "Everything is going to change."

Knowing that she was right, Zuko didn't have any idea how to go about comforting her. He wasn't even sure he should. "I know," was all he said.

Katara sighed. "I mean, I guess not exactly tomorrow. There's still a few days until the comet comes. But we're leaving here tomorrow and..." she paused, trying to find the right words. Looking up at Zuko again, she found him watching her, waiting for her to continue. His expression was lost, and she wanted so badly to know what he was thinking. Was he as nervous and terrified as she was? He always seemed to be in another place whenever the group talked about the impending battle.

She wanted so desperately for him to open up and tell her everything that was hiding behind his brooding eyes. This desire was in vain of course, Katara knew Zuko well enough to know that he kept everything he could locked deep inside.

She slid over closer to him. "I just felt safe here," she finished, looking at him for some sort of confirmation that she was in fact, safe in the beach house. Before Zuko had the chance to respond, Katara started talking again.

"I'm so scared," she said, her voice shaking. "I'm so scared that we won't be successful. I'm so scared that something will go wrong. I'm so scared that something will happen to one of us..." Tears trickled down her face as she spoke. Everything she'd been holding in had come spilling out. Somehow, he seemed to have that effect on her. She was the one who mothered the rest of the group and the person that the others could come to when they needed comfort. When Katara was with Zuko, she allowed herself to need someone else – she allowed herself to lean on him.

Zuko nodded. He had seen far too much to be able to tell Katara that everything would be fine. He knew better than that and frankly, so did she. War was unforgiving and they were both well aware that there was a strong possibility that everything wouldn't be fine. That something could conceivably happen to one of them.

But when he looked at Katara, and how she was finally allowing herself to see the gravity of the situation, he knew that he would do everything in his power to protect her.

"I won't let that happen," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. He leaned down slightly and brushed his lips lightly against hers. "I promise I'll keep you safe."

Katara parted her lips slightly and deepened their kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close. Perhaps what she needed wasn't to talk at all. Maybe it was to feel something – something other than fear, anguish and worry.

Zuko's mind raced. Katara kept kissing him and the more she did it, the harder and harder it was getting to stop her. Still, he knew that he couldn't in good conscience do anything with her without clarifying first. "Katara," he spoke gently, placing his hands on her shoulders. "What are we doing?"

Katara looked away. "I don't know," she said, her voice soft. "I just wanted... I don't know..." she trailed off, collecting her thoughts for a moment. "I just wanted to be here with you. It's stupid, ever since...well you know, ever since then I haven't been able to stop thinking about you. I just needed to come see you and be here with you before we all leave tomorrow."

Zuko searched her face. Her expression was less distraught than it had been before. Now she was fixated on him, almost begging him to feel the same way.

There was no question about that fact that he did.

"I'm glad you came," he said, leaning in to kiss her again.

There it was. The admission of feelings and attraction that had been resonating between the two for the past couple of weeks. Katara moved in closer to him as he planted light kisses on her lips. She tried to shake off any awkward feelings she had based on the fact that they were both wearing hardly any clothing.

Those light kisses quickly became more lustful and Katara found herself pulling Zuko down on to the bed with her. She found it was better to not think and just act. Spirits, it was easy to not think and just get swept up in the moment when she was with him.

She sighed as Zuko's hands slid down her bare sides. It would seem as though he was afraid to go any further with her. She was the one calling the shots – he went along with whatever she did, but she needed to be the one to initiate it.

Breaking apart from him for only a moment, Katara took that opportunity to readjust herself. As soon as her head landed on the fluffy pillows beneath her, she looked upwards. Zuko hovered over top of her, and just looking at him set her heart a flutter once again. The war was long forgotten as she allowed herself to get lost in his kisses.

His bare skin on hers was something that she wanted more of. Katara guided Zuko's hand to the top of her bindings, gently nudging him to take them off. He quickly obliged and closed his eyes as he enjoyed the feeling of her soft breasts against his chest.

Katara could feel him getting harder through the thin fabric of his underwear. She wanted so badly to reach downwards and touch him, but shyness once again got the better of her. So instead she just continued to kiss him, her hands placed on the small of his back.

Still, she wanted more. She wanted to be closer to him and to feel every part of him. Knowing she wasn't going to get anywhere unless she was a little more daring, she slipped a hand inside his underwear and let it rest on the side of his leg before moving any further.

This time it was Zuko who pulled away, albeit only slightly. He looked down at Katara as her eyes watched him, waiting for him to do something. _Anything_. That wanting look in her eyes was driving him crazy.

"Zuko," she said softly. "Why are you stopping?"

That was a good question. One that Zuko wasn't entirely sure of the answer to. He didn't want to force Katara beyond the point where she was comfortable... but she seemed to be doing okay. In fact, it seemed as though she was more comfortable than he was. That was probably part of it – he was nervous as all hell. All fantasies and daydreams aside, it was hard to believe that this was actually going to happen.

"Nervous," he admitted, feeling somewhat awkward about it.

"Me too," she said. "But... you do want to...right?"

There was no denying that. He leaned down to kiss her once before speaking again. "Are you sure?"

Katara nodded. "I'm sure."

There were more kisses before Katara stripped off the last of her clothes. When Zuko did the same she blushed a little, but quickly regained her composure. Her breath was still shaky, but all things considered she was doing just fine.

Katara drew in a sharp breath as he entered her. Pangs of pain shot through her and Katara had to remind herself to continue breathing. Eventually the initial uncomfortableness subsided and Zuko kissed her forehead lightly.

It took them a couple of minutes to find a steady rhythm. There was an air of awkwardness and neither of them quite knew what they were doing. Finally, they were used to the new sensations and Katara arched her hips upwards as he moved against her.

Her nails dug into his back and his lips planted kisses all over her neck and shoulder. She buried her head in the crick of his neck and bit her lip to keep from making any noise. The warmth of his naked body entangled with hers was almost too much for her to take.

Zuko continued to move at a steady pace as Katara clung to him. He made sure not to go too quickly – the last thing he wanted was to make too much noise and wake someone up. Still, he had little control over the fact that everything Katara was doing was making him feel really, _really_ good. He moaned softly, kissed her again and tried as best he could not to break away.

The sheets underneath the two of them were growing more and more dishevelled by the minute. Katara clutched on to them as Zuko moved quicker and quicker. She could tell he was nearing the edge. "Agni, Kata–" he groaned as the orgasm washed over him. "Oh..."

Zuko collapsed on top of her, breathing heavily. Katara felt woozy as she held him close, feeling his heart pounding in his chest. A couple of tears sprung to her eyes as the emotions of what they had just done hit her. Never before had she felt so close to another person in her life.

After catching his breath for a couple of seconds, Zuko moved to lay beside her. He brushed some loose strands of hair away from her face as her eyes began to close. Katara didn't say a word. She was sure that if she spoke she would tell him she loved him; and though what they'd just shared was intense she knew it was far too soon for those words.

Instead she snuggled up close to him before falling asleep. The next few days were sure to be eventful, but at that moment Katara just felt relaxed and safe.


	4. Chapter 4

**Once again I have to thank everyone who had read, reviewed and has me/this on their favorites or alert! You guys make me so happy :) Sorry that this chapter is so short. The next one will probably be short as well.**

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><p>Stricken, Zuko slammed down on the hard ground beneath him. But this was just a blip on his radar compared to the shock of the lightning his sister had just hit him with.<p>

Truth be told, she hadn't actually shot at him. Rather, her aim had been precisely at the girl standing behind him. The girl who would have had no way to protect herself against the bright blue bolts of electricity. The water that surrounded her body surely would have acted as a conductor and... Zuko didn't even want to think about it. In fact, he hadn't thought – he'd just acted. The only thought that ran through his mind was the need to keep Katara safe. Just as he had promised her he would.

His mind drifted back to just hours earlier, when they had been on their way to this very battle.

"_Zuko, you can do this," she said as Appa sailed through the air. They could see the Fire Nation palace approaching. It was almost time._

_He sighed, losing the confidence he once held. "The last time we faced Azula we barely made it out alive," he reminded her._

_But Katara didn't falter. Hopeful speeches were her speciality, after all. "I know," she said softly, touching his shoulder. "But we can do this. Last time she had the element of surprise. This time, it's on our side. She won't be expecting us. She won't be prepared."_

_Zuko nodded. He still wasn't sure Katara was right, but there was no turning back now. He had to face Azula, and he had to win._

"_And I'll be here with you," she whispered, kissing him softly._

There was little he could do other than lay on the ground and hope that somehow, Katara would be able to stop Azula. He tried to push himself to get up, but he couldn't muster up the strength. Wearily, his arms fell back to the cold ground. He could hardly hear anything over the buzzing noise in his ears, but there was the faint sound of Azula cackling with delight. Zuko wasn't sure if he was imagining that or not, but he wouldn't put it past his sister. She'd wanted him dead and out of her way since the moment she'd been able to speak.

Now she was matched against Katara, and there was nothing Zuko could do to help. Instead he was stuck with his mind racing and pain shooting throughout his body. Would Katara be able to stop Azula? Zuko had no doubts about her fighting ability – but he also had no doubts about his sister's. She was insane on the best of days and that day...

That day she had gone far beyond insane and crossed into batshit territory.

It was for that reason he feared for Katara. She was quick and smart and agile, but Azula was ruthless. If something were to happen to Katara, Zuko would never be able to forgive himself. If only there was something more he could do. If only he could get back on his feet and help her. He hoped and prayed that Azula in her deteriorating mental state would miscalculate and somehow screw up.

He mentally scolded himself for choosing to bring Katara with him to face Azula. His logic at the time was that if she wasn't near him, all he'd be doing would be worrying. He wanted to keep her close by so that he could protect her if need be.

He wasn't sure he was doing such a great job of that at the moment.

Zuko also wasn't sure that Katara knew just how much she meant to him. Their relationship had changed so drastically in the weeks prior. He'd been so weary of her when he'd first joined up with their group and now...

Now he was so terrified of something happening to her he couldn't think straight. He wondered if he'd been too rash – surely she would have been safer if she'd just gone with her brother. Zuko knew that Sokka wouldn't let anything happen to Katara, he wouldn't have had to worry so much. But no, he'd been selfish and greedy and wanted Katara by his side and now Azula was going to obliterate them both...

It was quiet all of a sudden. There was no longer the sound of footsteps hitting the ground. No more maniacal laughter from his sister. Just quiet.

Zuko wasn't sure if this was a good thing or not, but his body seemed to embrace the peaceful lack of sound. His eyes felt heavy. He gasped for air but the tiniest bit seemed impossible for him to catch. His chest felt tight and he was hardly able to think straight. The ringing he had heard earlier was starting to fade and all he wanted to do was go to sleep...

The sound of footsteps running towards him jarred him awake. He struggled to catch his breath, trying desperately to regain composure.

He recognized Katara's touch instantly, and it was that touch which allowed him to relax a little. Just her presence made him feel a little better. Her soft hands combined with the water on his skin soothed the area where the lightning had struck. Finally, he was able to take a deep breath.

Opening his eyes, he looked upwards at Katara. His vision was still a little hazy, but it was clear that she was crying. Tears were running down her cheeks. Zuko wanted nothing more that to reach upwards and brush the tears away. To kiss her and tell her that everything was going to be fine now and that she was right, they had been able to defeat Azula.

He didn't do any of those things, still in too much pain to move. "Thank you, Katara," was all he was able to manage.

"I think I'm the one who should be thanking you," she said, smiling a little through her tears.

Slowly, she helped him to sit up. Zuko leaned against her for a moment before standing. All he wanted was a quiet couple of seconds with her. He could hear Azula in the background. Her screams and cries were loud, and Zuko would have felt sorry for her if he hadn't been feeling so much relief that Katara was okay.

Katara helped Zuko get back on his feet, and he continued leaning against her for support. They stopped to look at Azula for a second. While Zuko was certainly glad his sister was still alive, he marvelled at the fact that Katara had been able to stop her. Together they had been able to take her down. In fact, he had been equally matched with Azula when it came to the Agni Kai. But Katara... she had outsmarted Azula at her own game.

Zuko tightened his arm around Katara's shoulder. His feelings were all over the place, but he just continued to stand with an aura of calm surrounding them. He was proud of Katara for winning against Azula. He was relieved that she was okay, and somewhat shocked that he had managed to live through the lightning attack. Agni, if Azula had done anything to hurt Katara, lightning or no lightning Zuko would have found the strength to murder her. The thought of it was too much for him to bear, but after coming so close it was impossible for him not to think about. Had he lost her, he wasn't sure what he would have done.

"Katara, I-"

"I need to be going back," she interrupted him, pulling away slightly and nodding towards Appa. "Sokka might need my help."

Zuko only nodded. He knew she was right – the others needed all the support they could get. "Go ahead," he said, able to stand on his own now. "I'll be alright."

Before leaving, Katara kissed him lightly on the cheek. "I'll be back," she said before getting on to Appa and flying away.

As quickly as he had felt relieved that she was okay, he instantly felt worried again. He could only hope that by the time Katara got there, Aang would have already won and the battle would be over. "I'll be here," Zuko said to himself as he watched her fly away.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey guys! This is the last chapter :( I really wanted to keep this story weaved in between what actually happened in the show, and ending it like this felt like the perfect way to do that in my head. I also really wanted to keep this story mostly Zuko and Katara only, with very little appearances from other characters, as they established their relationship. So, the story ends as their relationship "officially" begins. Thank you to all who read and reviewed, and those who have it on your alert or favorites, now that it's finished I'd love to hear from you :) I'll be starting a new story soon, which I plan to be longer than this one. And now on to the final part!**

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><p>Ba Sing Se was so different that to Katara, it almost felt foreign. She'd never felt at home there, and she'd certainly never felt at peace there. But since the war had finally come to an end, and the world was slowly beginning to heal, suddenly she was able to see the city in a new light. It wasn't the evil metropolis that it once was.<p>

A few weeks had passed since Aang had fought Ozai and won, since Zuko had become the new Fire Lord and since Iroh had opened his tea shop. That tea shop was now where everyone sat quietly, simply enjoying the peace.

Zuko walked by and handed her a cup of tea. He smiled at her for a brief second and kept on his way. Katara felt her heartbeat speed up a little when his hand touched hers and she quickly looked downwards. She was sure that her cheeks had turned pink when he had looked at her, and there was no way she wanted anyone to notice that.

She tried not to watch him too much as he made his way around to everyone, but it was difficult. In the space of a month she'd gone from trying so hard to hate him, to sharing one of her first kisses with him, losing her virginity to him and opening up to him about things she hardly spoke of to anyone.

Oh yeah, and he'd saved her from Azula.

Suffice to say, where she thought her feelings towards him might be mixed up, they really weren't. It was clear to her how she felt about him and yet neither of them had done anything to act on it since the war had ended. Katara was sure that this was due to the fact that they'd both been busy. She'd travelled back home to the South Pole to reunite with her family. Zuko, being the new Fire Lord had endless amounts of work ahead of him at all times. In fact, Katara thought it was surprising he'd actually been able to get away and visit with them in Ba Sing Se.

She still had yet to speak to anyone about what had happened between the two of them. There was no way she was going to confide in her brother, and definitely no way she was going to talk to her father. She'd considered talking to Gran Gran, but had decided against it. She'd also thought about talking to Suki, but there was no way she wanted to risk anything she said getting back to Sokka.

Instead, Katara had been alone with her thoughts. She'd thought about sending a letter to Zuko, but really, she wanted to see him in person. As painful as a wait that was, she knew it was for the best. Because if she sent him a letter she'd be eagerly waiting for his reply, and if he didn't reply she would be wondering why, and then when she finally did see him in person she'd have to ask him why, and it would be awkward... and yes, it had just been best to wait.

Now she was finally here with him, and though there was more waiting still because everyone was around, it made her feel a little better. Every time that Zuko smiled, she did too. It was like he was a completely different person than he had been before. He seemed happier and more at peace with himself than ever before.

Of course that just made her even more attracted to him. Which was why it was killing her that everyone else was in the room with them and she couldn't just walk up to him and kiss him. She thought about it, wondering if the aftermath would be worth it.

No, it wouldn't be. She pictured confused looks from Suki and Iroh. Sokka being speechless for a moment before demanding to know what was going on. Toph claiming she knew it all along and Aang... No, the aftermath definitely wouldn't be worth it.

A little later, people began to filter off to bed for the night. First it was Sokka and Suki – no surprise there. Then it was Toph, followed by Aang. Even Iroh eventually left, however he had smiled at Katara on his way out and she got the impression that he was deliberately leaving her alone with Zuko. She really should have known that he wouldn't be able to keep his mouth shut around his uncle.

It was interesting how Katara always thought of just what to say to Zuko when everyone else was around, but when she was finally left alone with him her mind went blank. She looked around the room awkwardly.

"I really like what your uncle did with this place," she started as her eyes wandered around the decor of the room.

"Yeah," Zuko replied, looking up from the teapot he had been cleaning. "He's really happy here."

There was an awkward silence. Katara had so much to say to him but not a clue how to say it. Zuko shifted his gaze away from her.

"I can tell," she finally said. "What about you?"

Zuko raised his eyebrow. "What about me what?"

"Are you happy?" she asked, not really asking that specific question, but rather what it implied. Katara was happy, of course, but there was still an emptiness. She was happy that the war was over, but she found herself missing being around Zuko all the time. Happiness was relative.

He softened. "I'm happy that the war is over."

"Me too."

More silence.

Eventually Zuko finished cleaning up, and he sat down at the table next to Katara. She felt her heart skip a beat, but nothing else really happened. Katara knew she was going to have to be the first to say something to him, as she usually was.

"Your uncle left us here alone on purpose, didn't he?" she asked, looking at Zuko for confirmation.

He frowned. "He's not very good at subtlety."

Katara just smiled. "Did you tell him about us?"

He glanced at her. Katara still thought he looked nervous, he always seemed to have the same look whenever he got close to her. "I'm not very good at subtlety either."

Katara just giggled. Zuko was right about that. He was good at keeping things to himself, and he was good at seeing the bigger picture in battle, but his emotions were always painted perfectly on his face. Perhaps not to someone who didn't know him well, but to anyone that did it was easy to see what he was feeling. "What did you tell him?" she finally asked.

Zuko sighed, turning his face away from her. "I didn't mean to tell him anything. He guessed it for himself and I just filled in what he was missing... like I said, I'm not good at subtlety and he's good at figuring things out so-" he was silenced with Katara's lips on his.

It was just a short kiss, mostly to get Zuko to stop babbling. It didn't work; as soon as Katara pulled away he continued his thought. "I told him I was in love with you..."

Her heart skipped a beat and her breath caught in her throat. Love? He was in _love_ with her? Katara had wondered often if her feelings for him were that strong, but she'd never said those words to anyone outside of her family before... "You told him that?" she asked finally.

Zuko blushed a little and again Katara felt her heart skip a beat. He was adorable when he was embarrassed. "That's the part he figured out and I uh, just sort of agreed with him..."

Katara nodded. That made a little more sense. She couldn't exactly picture Zuko confessing his love for her to his uncle without being asked about it. "I almost told you the same thing after we slept together on Ember Island..."

"Why didn't you?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know, I didn't want it to seem like I was saying that just because I was in the moment. Or maybe that was the only reason I was going to say it. It didn't feel right to say it then. I wasn't sure if I actually felt that way."

He played with her hair and Katara watched his expression. His eyes only watched his fingers weave between her dark brown locks. "And now?"

"I think I do," she spoke softly, allowing him to lean in and kiss her once more. Zuko kept his hand entangled in her hair as he pulled her in closer.

"Katara!" A shrill voice that could only belong to her brother broke their tender moment. They instantly pulled apart, looking at each other with terror on their faces. "Have you seen my bag of seal jerky? I swear I left it down here..." Sokka came loudly into the room.

Katara looked back at her brother, startled and worried that he might have seen something he shouldn't have. "I haven't seen it, Sokka," she said irritably. "It's probably in your room with the rest of your stuff."

"Yeah maybe, but I looked there..." Sokka replied with a hand on his chin. He then glanced over at Zuko and Katara and seemed to notice the how close they were sitting to one another. "What are you guys doing, anyway?"

"We were just talking," Katara replied coolly. "Your jerky's not here."

Sokka frowned, but sighed in defeat. "Maybe I ate it all," he muttered as he left.

"That was close," Zuko said, turning to her.

Katara breathed a sigh of relief once she heard the door to Sokka's bedroom open and close. "Yeah, I know."

"We're going to have to tell them eventually," Zuko said, looking at her in all seriousness.

Katara was well aware of that, and she was dreading it. "I know, I promise we'll tell them before we leave here. But for now," she kissed him softly. It was true, eventually she was going to have to deal with the fallout. But that that moment, with his lips on hers all of those worries just melted away.


End file.
